Demand meter including means for selectively controlling the length of demand intervals

Abstract

In a power system, a time-of-day demand meter of the type having a programmable control circuit for generating a control signal at prescribed intervals to enable a demand logic circuit to control the engagement of a demand register of the meter includes apparatus responsive to the control signal to generate an end of interval signal to disengage the demand register at a specified time as selected by the apparatus to control the length of demand intervals during which the consumption of electrical energy is measured.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
       1. In a programmable time-of-day demand meter of the type including a control circuit for generating a control signal at prescribed intervals to enable a demand logic circuit of said meter to control the engagement and disengagement of a demand register of said meter during demand intervals, apparatus for selectively controlling the length of said demand intervals comprising: (a) counter means for counting said control signal at each prescribed interval, said counter means having output terminals, each capable of providing, as an output, an end of interval signal representative of the length of a demand interval in accordance with the count in said counter means; and   (b) means adapted to selectively connect any one of the output terminals of said counter means to said demand logic circuit to provide an end of interval signal thereto to enable said demand logic circuit to disengage said demand register to terminate a demand interval at a time determined by the length of time it takes said counter means to accumulate a count which effects the generation of the end of interval signal at the selected output terminal connected to said demand logic circuit.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said means adapted to selectively connect any one of the output terminals of said counter means to said demand logic circuit comprises a pair of jumper connectors associated with each output terminal of said counter means and adapted to receive a jumper conductor, a first one of the connectors of each pair being connected to its associated output terminal and the second connector of each pair being connected in common to said demand logic circuit to provide the end of interval signal thereto from the one selected output terminal having a jumper conductor connected to its associated pair of jumper connectors. 
     
     
       3. In a time-of-day demand meter for use in a power system for measuring the amount of electrical energy consumed by the system during demand intervals, apparatus for selectively controlling the length of said demand intervals comprising: (a) an engageable register for registering the amount of electrical energy consumed during predetermined demand intervals;   (b) a control circuit for generating a control signal at prescribed intervals;   (c) a demand logic circuit including, means responsive, in a first instance, to said control signal to generate a demand signal to engage said register at the start of a demand interval, and further responsive to an end of interval signal to effect disengagement of said register by said demand signal;   (d) counter means responsive to said control signal, in at least one subsequent instance, for counting said control signal at each prescribed interval, said counter means having output terminals, each capable of providing, as an output, an end of interval signal representative of the length of a demand interval in accordance with the count in said counter means; and   (e) means adapted to selectively connect any one of the output terminals of said counter means to said demand logic circuit to provide said end of interval signal thereto to enable said demand logic circuit to effect disengagement of said register by said demand signal to terminate a demand interval at a time determined by the length of time it takes said counter means to accumulate a count which effects the generation of the end of interval signal at the selected output terminal connected to said demand logic circuit.